Russia Condemns Missile Strikes on Bushehr Nuclear Plant, Warns of Escalating Risk

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Russia expressed alarm on Saturday over renewed missile strikes targeting the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, calling the attacks “illegal and reckless” and warning that they threaten nuclear safety and international norms.

In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that reports of the April 4 strikes were being reviewed. She condemned the attacks for causing the death of an employee responsible for the plant’s physical security and extended condolences to his family.

Zakharova emphasized that such strikes on nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, like Bushehr, violate international law and the spirit of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

She cited concerns previously raised by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who warned that nuclear plants and surrounding safety systems must never become targets of military action.

“These illegal and reckless actions are an indelible stain on the international reputation of those who direct missiles at Bushehr and other nuclear facilities,” Zakharova said, referring implicitly to the ongoing U.S.-Israel military operations in Iran.

She further stated that the strikes undermine decades of work in nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security.

The Russian ministry stressed that the consequences of such attacks will be a focus at the upcoming NPT Review Conference, opening April 27, noting that an impartial evaluation of the damage to the treaty regime is urgently required.

The Bushehr facility, Iran’s first operational nuclear power plant, has been repeatedly threatened in the context of the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war, which has seen coordinated strikes against Iranian energy and military infrastructure.

Recent U.S. and Israeli actions targeting Iran’s nuclear and energy sites have prompted international concern over the risk of broader escalation and potential nuclear accidents.

Zakharova concluded by warning that the situation around Bushehr is approaching a “dangerous line” and urged an immediate cessation of all military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities to prevent a potential catastrophe.

Analysts note that the renewed attacks underscore the increasingly high stakes of the Middle East conflict, where military operations are now directly intersecting with civilian nuclear infrastructure, raising both regional and global security risks.

The attacks on Bushehr also reflect longstanding U.S. policy under President Donald Trump, who repeatedly vowed that America would “never, ever” allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

While the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is officially designated for civilian energy purposes, Trump and his administration consistently expressed deep skepticism over Iran’s intentions, arguing that Tehran could secretly pursue nuclear weapons at other sites within its territory.

U.S. officials have maintained that it is only a matter of time before Iran could obtain a nuclear weapon if unchecked, a belief that has driven repeated warnings, sanctions, and, most recently, support for military strikes aimed at curtailing Iran’s nuclear capabilities.